Kingston seeks warming station solution

KINGSTON — Filling a gap in the city's social safety net, an impromptu warming station was set up Wednesday night to serve the neediest of the needy at the Clinton Avenue United Methodist Church.

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By James Nani

recordonline.com

By James Nani

Posted Feb. 6, 2014 at 2:00 AM

By James Nani

Posted Feb. 6, 2014 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

KINGSTON — Filling a gap in the city's social safety net, an impromptu warming station was set up Wednesday night to serve the neediest of the needy at the Clinton Avenue United Methodist Church.

Throwing together the warming shelter came from a week-long blitz after a bitter cold snap raised questions of what Kingston's role is in providing a place to avoid the cold.

"There's a need for this in the Kingston area," said Kat Fisher of Citizen Action of New York, who spoke up at a Kingston council meeting Tuesday night in support of the warming stations.

The warming station will likely serve those who don't meet the criteria of emergency services already offered in Kingston.

Michael Berg, executive director of Family of Woodstock, said last year through its various shelters it served 204 single adults in recovery, 64 families, 135 youth and 104 victims of domestic violence. But those who stay in its shelters must be clean and sober, so they won't jeopardize those in recovery, Berg says.

But those numbers don't include the "substantial" overflow, Berg says, that stay at motels, crash at a relative's house or who "couch surf" night to night at the homes of friends. Those who don't fit the mold still need help, Berg says.

"They still need a place and need to be protected from the cold," Berg says.

Some used to go to the Queen's Galley on Washington Avenue. But its warming station closed last December when the Queen's Galley got an eviction notice.

New Kingston Alderman Brad Will says he started researching the problem last week. While he found that the American Red Cross works with Ulster County to open warming shelters, it's usually during large snowstorm events or sustained power outages. He started asking what Kingston could do.

Kingston, under recommendation of city counsel, was unwilling to offer a place for a warming station due to legal expenses and insurance claims. The Salvation Army and some church groups had similar fears and were worried about criminal activity or safety, according to a memo emailed from Kingston Mayor Shayne Gallo and provided by Will.

"I am doing everything I can to find a remedy for the warming stations during this unusually cold weather trend, irrespective of the fact that it is not the City's responsibility to address this problem," Gallo said in the letter.

Will said he did some research and found a system called Code Blue in Saratoga Springs that could be used as a warming shelter model in Kingston.

"The city has no systematic response in place," Will said. "In my opinion, it seemed like a weak reason not to do it."

Will and Fisher have said there are more than 100 homeless in the area that are potentially vulnerable and could use the warming station.

But Wednesday, at least temporarily, those issues were set aside when Rev. Darlene Kelley of United Methodist stepped up to let its warm gymnasium be used for the night. They're working with the Bruderhof Community and Citizen Action, as well as volunteers.

Gallo offered coffee and donuts for the shelter and the Kingston police to help get the word out to the homeless population.

"The mayor's position has evolved," Will said.

Still, a long-term solution of where to hold a warming station for those with the worst problems isn't clear.

"Ultimately, it's an executive function," says Matt Dunn, Kingston's majority leader. "That's why a city has a mayor, to carry out this power."

Dunn said the city counsel's opinion is pointing people in the wrong direction and that, ultimately, the city could offer up a place for warming shelters if it wanted to.

"We accept there's liability in the services that we offer," Dunn said.